Method of knitting



June 25, 1946. o. FREGEOLLE 2,402,744

METHOD OF KNITTING Filed Aug. 12, 1944 7 Sheets-Sheet l v Ila-m- :O O

June 25,1946. o, FREGEQLLE 2,402,744

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METHOD OF KNITTING Filed Aug. 12, 1944 {Sheets-Sheet 4 11V VENT 01?: 0mm EPzczozza ATT).

June 25, 1946. o, FREGEQLLE 2,402,744

METHOD OF KNITTING Filed Aug. 12, 1944 7 Sheets-Sheet 5 June 1946. o. FREGEOLLE .METHQD 0F KNITTING Filed Aug. 12, 1944 '7 Sheets-Sheet 6 INVENTOR- flxmz E95 June 25, 1946. Q FREGEOLLE 2,402,744

METHOD OF KNITTING Filed Aug. 12, 1944 '7 Sheets-Sheet 7 Patented June 25, 1946,

UNITED, STATES PATENT oFFics mn'rnon or KNITTING Oscar Fregeolle, Central Falls, R. 1., asslgnor to a Hemphlll Company, Central Falls, B. 1., a corporation of Massachusetts Application August 12, 1944, Serial No. 549,157

' 1 Claim.

. 1 This invention relates to a new and useful improvement in a method of knitting on machines of the circular,-independent needle type to the fabric produced by it and to the mechanism for performing it. It relates particularly to a new gauges can be commercially produced the perfection of plating being far superior to anything heretofore made even in the coarser gauges. While the method is more or less similar in some respects to some of the methods heretofore followed, there are important differences which are responsible for the great improvement in the plating.

It has always been difilcuit' to insure that the plating yarn is exactly superimposed upon the body yarn beneath it. This is particularly true in split workand in this work it is particularly true at the beginning of each course. Any deviation from the correct position of the plating loops in relation to the body loops beneath them permits the body yarn, whichis generally of a different color, to show through in the form of streaks or mottled patches. In coarse gauge stockings knit oi heavy yarns the size of the yarns tend tocorrect such defects to some extent by their greater covering ability. The flner and more tightly twisted yarns cannot do this so that heretofore it has beenconsidered impossible to produce high grade, fine gauge, split foot plated stockings. In fact, there are no such stockings on the market.

Plated stockings produced by this invention may also be provided with wrap patterns. If they are, these patterns are also more perfect because they are produced by the same or a similar method to that employed for plating and also because the plated fabric, being more perfect,-'supplies a more perfect base for the wrap pattern. Since wrapping is in. itself aform of plating, it is ob-' vious that it will be improved if the underlying loops are more perfect in formation and moreperfectly plated.

The accompanying drawings illustrate one manner in which the method of this invention may be performed and to some extent, the mechanism for performing it as applied to a machine of the Banner type. since, as stated, the Plated fabric may be ornamented with a wrap pattern the production of. which is directly related to the production of the plated fabric, the making of the wrap will be included in this description.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic illustration of a carrier ring for a circular independent needle split foot machine equipped for plating in accordance with the method of this invention and also provided with wrap mechanism. In addition, it illustrates four steps in the process of wrapping in counter-clockwise direction;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary diagrammatic illustration of the two wrap yarn horns underv the candi tions assumed for Fig. 1;

Fig. 3- is a view similar to Fig. 1' when the needles are moving in the'other or clockwise direction;

Fig. 4 is an illustrative view similar showing the relative positions of the two wrap horns under the conditions of Fig. 3;

F 8. 5 is a plan view of one form of sinker head and cam cap;

Figs. 6 and 7 are elevations of part of the same head and cap showing the means for operatin the wrap horns;

Fig.8 is an elevation of part of the same head and cap showing the means for operating the flopper cams shown in Fig. 5:

Figs. 9 and 10 are partial views of the carrier ring showing the auxiliary yarn lever and the methodof feeding the body and plating yarn.

Fig. 11 is a diagrammatic view illustrating a needle and sinker before any yarn is taken by the needles;

Fig; 12 is a similar view illustrating a sinker and needle and other associated parts as the needle is about to take a wrap yarn;

Fig. 13 is a similar view after the needle has taken the wrap yarn and is about to receive the plating and body yarns;

Fig. 14 illustrates the manner in which th three yarns a: e drawn over the back of the sinkers;

Fig. 15 illustrates a further step when the needle has risen so that the three yarns are around its latch;

Fig. 18 illustrates the feeding of the wrap yarn to a needle in the following course which is assumed to be knit in the reverse direction. The previously fed and knit wrap, plating and body to Fig. 2 v

same vin both directions. feed from one corner or the other of silt I deyarns are shown in the throat of the sinker and backs to the throats of the sinkers over the tops of the nibs and the relative positions of these 7 Fig. 19 represents the taking of a wrap yarn for the second mentioned course. It also shows,

as in Fig. 13, its position in relation to the plating and body yarns being fed to the needle;

Fig. 20 illustrates the manner in which the loops of the first course are cast off by the throats of the sinkers acting directly against the yarns of that course. It also shows the yarns of the succeeding course still over the backs of the I iw of plating and wrapping obtainable by methods now in use;

Fig. 24 is a developed view showing the paths followed by the jacks and needles in rotary or counter-clockwise reciprocatory knitting and also the point at which the wrap, plating and 'body yams are fed;

Fig. 25 is a similar view illustrating the paths followed by the jacks and needlesduring clockwise reciprocatory knitting and also the relative positions of the feeding points of the wrap, plating' and body yarns; and

Fig. 26 is a view of the mechanism for controlling the two wrap horns.

Asshown in Figs. 1 and 3, the machine is provided with the usual rotatable needle cylinder, indicated by the broken lines I, complement of needles 2 and carrier ring 3 equipped on the main side with the usual yarn levers 4. On the auxiliary side is another yarn lever 5 for feeding the plating and body yarns 8 and I, respectively, for the leg and instep. This is mounted on the underside of carrier ring 3 so that these yarns v are fed from a lower point than usual and also so that the lever can be moved outwardly radially when the feeding of the plating and body yarn is temporarily discontinued. as when knittingtheheelandtoe,andsothatitcanbe' swung on a pivot to move these yarns completely away from the knitting field whenever the feeding of them is discontinued for longer periods. Mechanisms for imparting these movements to auxiliary yarn lever i are not shown since they form no part of this invention.

The inner end of yarn lever 5 may have the construction shown in Figs. 9 and 10 including an eyelet 8 through which ,the body yarn is threaded and a slit 8, symmetrically positioned above eyelet I, through which the plating yarn is threaded. Yarn lever I is also symmetrically positioned with respect to the instep needles so 'that the feeding of the. body and plating yarns during reciprocatory knitting will be exactly the Plating yarn C will 4 pending upon the direction of knitting-but its angular relation with body yarn I will be exactly the same in both positions. i

The machine is' also provided with a wrap spindle I0, preferably having a plurality of feeds, and'two wrap yarn homs II and I2 for guiding the wrap yarn as will be explained later. Horns II and I2 are each provided with rollers I3 each sliding in a vertical guide II in the inner end of a bracket I5 which is attached to an arcuate ring it adapted to swing through a definite are on a suitable guide ring II on carrier ring I.

The swinging of arcuatering I6 is controlled from the sinker head friction ring I8 (Figs. 5,

6, 7 and 8) which is frictionally associated with the sinker head and capable of swinging through a certain are as determined by suitable stops by means of a connection I! attached to the sinker head friction ring I. and engaging fork 2l on arcuate ring IS. A pin 2| which may be the pivotof a roller I2 projects into a camway 22 in a stationary arcuate plate 23 (Figs. 1, 3 and There are two opposed camways 22, one for each horn, so that when ring it is rotated in one direction horn I I will be lowered and horn I2 raised and vice versa by the movement of pins 2I along camways 22. These is also-the usual binder plate 24.

The leg and instep of the stocking are assumed to be knit on the auxiliary side of the machine, as is now customary, so that the same yarns can be used throughout and uniformity of yarn and stitchinthesepartsassured. Thelegisknit in a rotary manner and the high heel and foot by reciprocatory hiitting.

When knitting the leg, plating yarn I and body yarn I are fed to the needles by means of lever 5 on the auxiliary side and are knit onthat side, all the needles traversing the path 25 (Fig. 24) and knitting at cam 26. Plating yarn i is fed above body yarn I as will be evident from Figs. 9, 10, 24 and 25 and is positioned above the body yarn on the needles (see Figs. 13 and 19). Heretofore the reverse order has been customary.

If this part of the stocking is to be provided with a wrap pattern the wrapyarn 21 isfed over horn II, which is in its low position (Fig. 2), to the needle or needles which are to be wrapped by wrap spindle II one finger of which has been swung out by suitable mechanism so that its eyelet 2! liesoutside the needle circle as shown in Fig. 1. Wrap spindle II rotates one to one with needle cylinder I as usual.

The needles to be wrapped have been selected and elevated to a position 29 (Fig. 24) higher than the usual yarn receiving position, by a suitable selector means ll and master cam 3| operating upon jacks, such as 32, to receive the wrap yarn2l. Whenthewrapyarnhasbeenfedto the selected needles eyelet 28 moves back to a position inside the needle circle indicated at 33 inFia.1,thewrapyamd 0ppin ofltheendof horn'l I as shown at 34. Upon further rotation of the needle cylinder and wrapspindle, eyelet 28 assumes a position 35 the wrap yarn now passing under binder plate 24 as indicated at it and under horn I2. As the rotation of the cylinder and wrap spindle continue eyelet 28 continues to move to a position such as 81 and the wrap yarn, extending to the last needle wrapped, also continues to swing around under binder plate '24 as indicated at ll and so on until the cycle is completed.

Aithough horn II has been in its low position shown in Fig. 2, as above stated. this position,

by yarn lever which, since it is mounted on the underside of the carrier ring feeds these yarns to the needles below wrap yarn 21 and at a much lower angle than the wrap yarn is fed by wrap spindle l0 and horn I I, The feeding of the wrap yarn high on the needles and above the plating and body yarns leaves plenty of room for feeding the plating and body yarns well above the latch pivots so that there is no danger that the yarns will be cut or frayed by the closing of the latches.

The feeding of the yarns to the needles is also illustrated by Figs. 11 to 14,. In Fig. 11 is shown a needle 2 and sinker 39 before the feeding of anyyarn. In Fig. 12 needle 2 is in the elevated position 29 (Fig, 24) to receive wrap yarn 21 as fed by a'wrap spindle eyelet 28 over horn II. In Fig. 13 the needle 2 has descended to a lower position for the reception of the plating and body yarns 0 and I as fed by yarn lever 5. It will be noted that wrap yarn 21 is now in the hook of the needle and passes over a smaller portion of horn II and that the plating and body yarns 6 and 'l' are fed to the needle below the wrap yarn and in the order named. In Fig. 14 the needle has descended still further and has drawn the three yarns over the sinker in the same relative positions. However, instead of drawing these yarns in the throat 40 of the sinker in the usual way the sinker has been moved inward soon enough and far enough so that the yarns are drawn over the flat back ll of the sinker behind its nib 42. In Fig. 15 the needle has risen again so that the yarn loops are now on its latch.

Thereafter the cycle is completed until the needle has again'assumed the position shown in Fig. 11 the sinkers'being drawn out meanwhile so that the sinker loops have been transferred from the backs to the throats of the sinkers over the nibs 42. In the next course the wrap, plating and body yarns 21, 6 and 1, respectively, are again fed to the needles and drawn in the manner just de-' scribed.

When the change is made from rotary to reciprocatory knitting as, for example, at the beginning of the high-heel and in the foot, the three yarns continue to be fed and knitas above described, at the auxiliary side of the machine, by the instep needles when these needles are moving in counter-clockwise direction. When knitting in the other or clockwise direction the method is similar but in this instance horn II has been raised and horn l2 lowered and shifted asshown in Figs. 3 and 4 by the mechanism already described and wrap yarn 21 is fed over horn l2 instead of horn II and on the other side of needles 2 as shown in Figs. 3 and 16. Then sinkers 39 are drawn out so that previouslyformed loops are transferred from the backs to the throats of the sinkers over the nibs as shown in Figs. 17 and 18. Then the plating and body yarns are fed to the needles by yarn lever I as shown in Fig. 19 after which the yarns are drawn over the backs of slnkers which have been again moved inwardly far enough to make this possible and the knitting cycle completed. I

When the machine reverses again to knit the 6 next course in counter-clockwise direction horn I2 is again raised and horn l I lowered and swung into operative position and the feeding and knitting of the wrap, plating and body yarn proceeded with as originally described. Yarn lever B and wrap spindle III are so positioned on the auxiliary side that thewraP. plating and body yarns are fed to the long butt needles including, of course,

the backs of the sinkers instead. of in their throats. This also makes it possible'to position the tip of each horn, when working, more closely to the knitting point than heretofore. In fact, the wrap yarn loops do not pass from the tip of the horn until almost the instant of knitting.

In consequence, these loops are under control at all times and have no opportunity to change their size or shape as is verylikely to happen if control of them is lost at an earlier point. (See Figs. 2 and 4.)

Drawing the loops over the back of the sinkers also makes it possible to feed the wrap yarn abovethe other two yarns instead of below it as has been customary and to follow this by the plating yarn and then the body yarn down the needle. This without further manipulation arranges the three yarns in their proper relation so that no change is required. Because of this the sinkers may be moved in early to position them correctly for receiving the yarns upon their backs and they can then be held motionless while the draw is made. Since the yarns are in their correct order it is no longer necessary to move the sinker out to push one yarn past the other.

The yarns, if they contact the backs of the nibs at all, simply slide down them to the backs of the sinkers where the actual draw occurs. Consequently, every loop is drawn the same length. This is not possible when the sinkers are moving so that the yarns are drawn over the sloping backs of the nibs.

Also the former necessity of maintaining a heavier tension on the lower yarn than on the other yarn is eliminated, Whatever tension is best for each yarn, depending upon its nature, can be used. This also results from the fact that the yarn are engaged by the needles in the correct order and do not require positioning by tension or sinker movement.

By feeding and drawing in this way and by usingthe two horns II and 12 working in alternation it becomes possible for the first time to feed and knit wrap yarns in every cours of the instep during reciprocatory knitting and thus to provide in the instep section a continuous pattern similar to that usually included in the leg superposed upon an almost perfect plated fabric.

Of course to do this, means must be provided for selecting the needles to be wrapped in each direction of reciprocation. This is done by means of jacks operating upon the needles" under the control of appropriate selectors. For example,

when knitting in counter-clockwise direction seat cam 41 or 48, as the case ma be, at the main side of the machine followin present split ioot practice.

As previously stated the sinkers are so manipulated that at the auxiliary side of the machine the yarns are drawn over their backs instead of their throats and subsequently the loops so drawn are transferred from the backsto the throats over the nibs. This is illustrated by Figs. 17 and 18. These loops are finally cast off from the needles after the corresponding loops of the next course have been drawn. This is accomplished by projecting the sinkers inwardly so that their throats engage with these previously formed sinker loops as shown in Fig. 20. In this figure these sinker loops are indicated by the numerals 21 and 6 and I by which the wrap, plating and body yams-have been identified throughout this description and the newly formed loops of these same yarns are indicated by the numerals 49, 50 and SI, respectively. As will be seen the newly drawn yarns 49, ill and II resting on the backs of the sinkers are not aflected in any way by the engagement of the previously formed loops 21, i and l with the throats oi the sinkers.

A sinker cap suitable for operating the sinkers for drawing and knitting the yarns in this way is enerally indicated by the numeral 52 in Fig. 5. This cap is provided with a center sinker cam 53 on the auxiliary side having a rather sharp and narrow point by means of which the sinkers are drawnout to transfer the loops from the backs to the throats thereof over the nibs and are immediately moved in again so as to be in a position to receive the yarn over the backs behind the nibs as they are fed from yarn lever B. Sinker cap 52 does not rotate or swing and point 54 i is positioned directly below the yarn lever 5 so wise direction the loops are cast ofl by cam 50.

The main side of the machine where the heel, sole and toe are knit presumably in the conventional way, the loops being drawn in the throats 0f the sinkers, is provided with the usual center cam 51 and casting ofl cams II and 59. Preferably, two flopper cams 6. and Cl are also provided for the purpose of moving the sinkers in earlier than usual after they have been drawn out by center cam 51 so that they will hold down the fabric while the needles which knit at the main side are being raised by-main stitch cams 41 and 40. Flopper cam II is swungin for counterclockwise knitting and flapper cam I I for clock-'- wise knitting as shown in Fig. 5.

These cams are urged outwardly by springs 62 and i3 and are swung in by short arms 64 and 8! attached to sinker head friction ring ll, As previously explained, friction -rin'g' I8 is swung through a certain arc in either direction by I means of the sinker head upon which it is fric-' tionally mounted and which turns with the cylinder. The distance ring 18 is permitted to move isthat required to operate the hopper cams and also the wrap horn II and- I2 through finger I. The drawing of the loops over the backs of the sinkers and their subsequent transference to the throats over the nibs and the casting of! from the needles of these loops without engaging the newly formed loops have a surprisingly beneficial effect upon the shape and uniformity of size of the loops apparently for the following reasons. When the needle loops pass from around th latches of the 'needles to the shanks they hang somewhat loosely upon the shanks because this part of the needle is smaller. However, when the sinkers are retracted so that the loops are caused to pass from the backs to the throats over the nibs each sinker loop receives ,a slight tug which tightens the adjacent needle loops around the shanks of the needles. In this way they are brought to substantially the same size. When the needles descend to cast oil these-loops the loops must,

of course, pass again over the latches. In so doing they are slightly stretched but because they have already been equalized this stretching is substantially the same for each loop. This tightening and stretching'oi' the needle loops in this equalizing way has a similar eifect upon the ad- Jacent sinker loops so that both the needle and.

- sinker loops are straightened and equalized in undisturbed. This is far from the case when casting oii involves the engagement of the slnkers with the newly formed'loops also as is inevitable when the loops are drawn in the throats of the sinkers in accordance with previous practice,

These beneficial results are also shared by the Q loops of the wrap pattern. In the case of a single needle wrap the wrap yarn does not make contact with the sinkers. However, the character of the wrap benefits greatly from the fact that the underlying plated loops are straight and uniform and unailected by the casting ofl process so that wrap yarn loops are more exactly positioned upon them. Where the wrap extends across more than one needle the wrap yarn passes through the same process as the plating and body yarns, as clearly illustrated by Figs. 17, 18 and 20, and consequently, benefits directly and to the same extent. a

A comparison of fabric plated and wrapped bythe customary method and by the method of this invention is ail'orded by Figs. 22 and 23. Fig. 22 is an accurate copy of an actual enlargement o! 220 needle fabric plated and wrapped as heretofore described. It will be noted that the loops are all of substantially the same size and shape. thatthey are all vertical, the plating is substantially perfect, the body yarns showing only at a very fewsmall spots which are scarcely noticeable even in this greatly enlarged reproduction, the wrap is excellent.

Fig. 23 is a similar reproduction of fabric also made on a Banner machine by one of the leading manufacturers of high grade hosiery in the United States. This plating and wrapping was done in the old way in which th yarns are drawnin the throats of the sinkers. This is a fair sample of the best plating which heretofore has been commercially possible. The loops vary in size and shape, they tilt from the perpendicular, the body over their backs and causing them to remain sta-.

tionary during the drawing oi! the yarns, feeding a plating yarn and a body yarn to the needles, 10

. 10 the plating yarn being positioned on the needles above the bOdyyarn, drawing these yarns over a. part of the backs of the sinkers having a definite height and through the needle loops of the previous course casting off the previously formed needle loops by the sinkers acting upon the intervening sinker loops only and causing the newly drawn sinker loops to pass from the backs to the threats of the sinkers upwardly to the tops of the nibs. OSCAR FREGEOLLE. 

